How Long Has it Been?

The days seem to begin much earlier today than they used to, and they don’t seem to last quite as long as I remember from my childhood. From early morning until late at night, it seems that there is never enough time to do all that needs to be done. Americans are the busiest people in the world. Our schedules have become so tight that necessity has taught us to “multitask”––a word that didn’t even exist a generation ago. Because there isn’t enough time to do everything we would like to do, we have also learned to prioritize (whether we think consciously about our priorities or not). Where do the most important things rank among our priorities?

How long has it been, fathers, since you took some time off work to spend with you wife and children? More than half of all first-time marriages in this country end in divorce. One of the reasons for this is that husbands and wives are not spending the time together that they once did. Men often spend more time with female co-workers than they do with their own wives. The same could be said for many of the working women of this country. Our homes––the fabric of American society––are falling apart, and nobody seems to be disturbed about it anymore. God says that He hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) We should hate it, too. Take some time this week to spend with your family, and make time to read the Bible with them and talk with them about the importance of serving God (Deuteronomy 6).

How long has it been since you studied from the pages of God’s Word? We know we cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6), and Paul says that faith comes from hearing the Word (Romans 10:17). Be honest with yourself: if you were to spend as much time reading the Bible as you spend watching television, how much would you know about God’s will? Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). If you don’t know what His will is, how can you do it?

How long has it been since you prayed to the Father? Most of us probably remember to thank God for our food at mealtime, but when was the last time that you spent an hour before the throne of God to thank Him for all He has done for you or to plead for His aid during some trial? Perhaps you feel separated from God. If there is sin in your life, you are separated from Him (Isaiah 59:1–2). Peter says that God will not hear the prayers of those who are living ungodly lives (1 Peter 3:12).

How long has it been since you felt close to God? Do you know that your heart is right in God’s sight? The Bible is the only trustworthy instrument that we have for discerning the nature of our relationship with God, and it is the only guide that we have for putting our lives on the right track.

As you think about the year to come and what lies in store, think about the things that really matter, and make the decision to give priority to the things that really matter.

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